Homeschooling Update

Our homeschool year has been going very well this year. In fact, it's probably one of the best years we have ever had in the 11 years we've been on this journey. Part of what is making things different this year is that I have been working to be far more consistent. I'm thrilled where we are at with our days completed.

It's also different in that we are doing far more outside classes. Most of them have been good fits, but not all.

We have been doing:

• Bi-monthly enrichment co-op
• Weekly swim lessons at the local college for the two younger boys (on break for now)
• Bi-monthly Spanish lessons 
• Online literature course for the older two boys (last class was today - we'll be doing this on our own at this point)
• Bi-monthly art class - for drawing instruction
• Bi-monthly art class - more "messy" art. A lot of pottery plus other fun mediums. These two art classes are taught by two different instructors.
• Weekly piano lessons for the two younger boys (taught by the same gentleman who does our drawing class)
• Monthly 4-H club meetings
• Martial Arts instruction twice a week for my younger son 

This doesn't even include all of the field trips we've taken! So far this year we have gone to the:

• Common Ground Fair
• Maine Maritime Museum
• Rangeley Logging Museum and Quill Hill
• a production of Twelfth Night
• Old Fort Western 
• Old York Village
• Strawberry Banke
• Portland Art Museum
• (and later this week) Bates College Art Museum

Here are a few fun photos of some of our adventures so far this year.

Middle son building at the Common Ground Fair

All the boys at the Maine Maritime Museum (including the little boy I watch part-time)

This informative and personable gentleman was our guide at the Rangely Logging Museum.

My youngest and my nephew loading the canon. And yes, they did fire it - minus the canon ball.

This was part of the program they did at Old Fort Western. They learned about life as a solider.

Fantastic living history program at Old York. They went to different stations to do various hands-on activities. One was in the kitchen and they made molasses cookies. At the end of the program, we all got ot eat one. They were really yummy!

We took a friend with us when we went to Strawberry Banke and Old York Village (we did both in the same day). Here three of the boys are working in the kitchen. Two are stringing green beans to dry and my youngest is grinding corn. 

This was the boys favorite part of the Portland Art Museum as it was hands on. They could have stayed here all day.

We've had a great time this fall in our homeschooling. I'm very much looking forward to our upcoming Christmas break. We'll be taking a week and a half off from school. This will give me time to schedule out our spring semester.